The following comes from a Mountain Catholic post:
The Diocese of Spokane received its new shepherd, Bishop Thomas Anthony Daly of San José, California, a couple months ago, and honestly it was like an early Christmas present. Not having a bishop for all of Lent and the better part of 4 months was a bit of a bummer, so the long-awaited news was like music to my ears for more than just that reason.
In reading all the news coverage on the day of the announcement, all the while wondering how this new leader would do in Spokane and eastern Washington, I ran across a short quote Bishop Daly uttered at his introductory press conference that he said was his guiding principle:
Compassion always, compromise never.
Bishop Daly was speaking about his past role as a board member of Catholic Charities in San Francisco, but more specifically about how being a Catholic institution in such a “progressive” city caused them to face some tough questions in terms of what the Church believes and teaches. He clarified that by “compromise never” he meant never compromising the teachings of Christ, which are the fullness of the truth.
The words are profound enough in themselves, but they hold immensely more weight in considering who is speaking them. They show, at the same time, a softness of heart and a rich and abiding integrity of mission that’s both all too uncommon and desperately needed in our world today.
That, more than anything, is what a bishop ought to be.
Many might take the word “compassion” to mean something along the lines of mere empathy, or perhaps an understanding and acceptance of people where they’re at, without an intent to push the person outside of a comfort zone for any reason. In reality, though, compassion literally means “to suffer with”.
In light of this, Bishop Daly’s words have such a large impact because it indicates not only his understanding that we experience suffering in our lives as Catholics wrestling with tough teaching and as humans wrestling with temptation and sin, but more so that he desires to share in our suffering with us.
Suffering, by its very definition, implies that there is something uncomfortable, perhaps even painful, going on. Suffering never comes about on its own; it’s always triggered by a prior occurrence, whether intentional or unintentional. Maybe the most vital aspect of understanding suffering is that we only experience suffering when that undesirable situation is also unchangeable.
When considered in the light of the radical requests of the Christian life, suffering carries even more meaning. In signing up for the Christian life, we choose to live a life not on our terms and choose to join an institution where the rules aren’t changeable, no matter how we feel. Compromise just isn’t an option, at least not if we want to live authentically as Christ asks us to live. The reason we still do it, though, is because the suffering that results will be redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
The fact that Jesus was fully human — that He experienced literally the same temptations and hardships that we do during his earthly life — seems to get overlooked all too often, but it’s the key to understanding compassion in the Christian sense. Jesus came to earth for precisely that reason: to show us that suffering in the life and circumstances God gives us can be redemptive; that it matters, despite its difficulty. More to it, St. Padre Pio once said:
“The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain”
This is precisely the abiding principle it sounds like Bishop Daly will bring to Spokane, and it comes at a great time. In a part of the country that was (and still in some part remains) particularly affected by the experimental kookiness of the post-Vatican II Catholic Church, and in a place that, similar to many other parts of the country, is home to generations of un-evangelized Catholics and even more who have stopped attending Mass altogether, the assignment of Bishop Daly is just what the doctor ordered.
Bishop Daly has previously written that the Christian ideal is best exemplified by personal example above all else. In a letter written to men studying to be priests less than a year ago entitled Evangelization by Example, the bishop cited the importance of living an authentic witness with “generous, holy hearts.”
From the sound of it, what we’re getting is a shepherd who not only “smells like his sheep”, as our beloved Pope Francis called for his priests and bishops to be, but a bishop who seeks to uphold rather than overhaul the duty and doctrine he’s been entrusted with. He’ll be the general that leads from the front lines instead of the back, showing us the path to holiness by glorifying the Lord with his life first.
May God bless Bishop Daly in his new home in the Northwest.
Spokane, you have been blessed with a wonderful shepherd! God Bless you, Bishop Daly, I am praying for you!
We will see. Our prayers go with you Bishop Daly. Stand firm, but with compassion, regarding attacks on the Faith. If you are a faithful shepherd, you will be maligned, degraded, mocked, and suffer calumny of every kind. Just look at what is happening to the great Abp. Cordileone. This, too, may be your fate (that is, on this Earth).
Teach the Faith, but really teach it. The Catholic Church did not start at Vatican II. The suicide of the institutional Church can be traced to that “pastoral” council and the Church’s implementation of its supposed “spirit”. Catholic Tradition is the answer. Look towards a likely ally in Bp. Sample in Portland, who is at least welcoming of the TLM and “extraordinary” sacraments. Resist even the Pope if anyone seeks to block Catholic access to the True Faith.
And, good luck, Bp. Daly. We will be praying for you.
Vatican II IS Catholic Tradition.
….not those portions of resulting documents which require clarification, Anonymous. Kind of like the Dutch Catechism isn’t Catholic tradition.
What portions of the documents do you need to have clarified?
St. C, I know you don’t agree, but VII was the Magistarium speaking. When the Bishops of the world gather in a Synod (there were thousands) they are the Tradition of the Church (capital T). As a Pastoral Synod, they changed no beliefs, but reiterated them and talked about how to make them more real for more people. Of course, there are still some people, not many really, who think we should stick to the old traditions (lower case t). But, hey, the other millions will go along with what the Church teaches today.
Making something “more real” would logically mean to make something clearer, Bob One. Easier to grasp. Not confusing something that was formerly very clear.
So while a good portion – you’re right there – don’t have a problem with that, it is rather because an increasing portion doesn’t know what the Church has always taught and frankly doesn’t care to take the time to learn. Millions more are showing their colors in that regard, or rather showing themselves to be fruit of the new springtime, by leaving in droves.
But that’s okay. Faith is a gift and God. And the Truth will always out.
you are right Bob One there are those of who see look at history and notice the Church was stronger and more respected before the “spirit of Vatican 2″…that is why we wish to preserve the old traditions (T) and (t).
BobOne, only those who do not know the teachings of Jesus and His Church will go along with error.
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Jesus said “Many” will not be saved. “Few” will be saved.
High ranking Clergy also commit and love their sins.
“Bob One” and “Anonymous”: You are both wrong.
Time and space do not permit much discussion here, but the literature is vast on problems with (1) what Vatican II did, and (2) the later “implementation” of Vatican II, that is the “Spirit” issue which has been used to justify so much harm, including with the liturgy.
Yes, the Council was intended to be “pastoral” but no, it did change things, many things. The “fact” of the Council is clear; it did occur. That it purposefully left ambiguities in many of its texts is also clear.
Many orthodox Catholics have issued calls for clarifying the errors of Vatican II, as a way to link its acceptable parts to the hermeneutics of continuity, to link it to Tradition (and not rupture). See, e.g., “Proposals for a correct reading of the Second Vatican Council,” by Bp. Athanasius Schneider (12/’17/2010); here it is: https://www.ewtn.com/library/bishops/schneider-proposte.htm.
Very good, St. Christopher! And for those who do not know– the more- liberal Fathers of Vatican II, truly DID desire, to SUPPRESS our Church’s AUTHENTIC, 2,000-year-old TRADITION, because they wanted “aggiornamento!” “Modernization!” TRADITION became a tragically controversial and despised word, after Vatican II!! Can we still pray the Rosary, or light candles and say prayers, or have First Friday Adoration, or hold Novenas, or Corpus Christi processions, in our churches?? Can we still have altar boys, incense, statues of Our Lady and the Saints, and even sing a Latin hymn?? Must the Communion rails be ripped out of our beautiful churches, to “modernize” (and “wreckovate!”) them all? Will we now risk public humiliations and reprimands, for desiring to kneel, and receive Holy Communion on the tongue?? Very tragic loss of Catholic religious traditions, and “identity!”
Bishop Daly is a true BLESSING!
Spokane you are truly so BLESSED by God :)
I was hoping he would be made an auxillary Bishop to AB Cordileone. Can you image the team that would be? They are both ‘cut from the same cloth’ !!!
Thank you Lord for such WONDERFUL Bishops as these two men.
Amen to that Elizabeth. I agree. Prause be Jesus Christ
Teach your literate to read at HOME both:
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SACRED SCRIPTURE and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” of 1997 – so that they will accurately and fully know the Faith.
Bishop Daly’s brother Patrick was whisked out of his leadership role at Archbishop Riordan High School faster than a jack rabbit.
Makes me wonder what was behind THAT little story?
FYI:
“The long, legal jihad against natural marriage
https://onenewsnow.com/perspectives/robert-knight/2015/05/26/the-long-legal-jihad-against-natural-marriage#.VWSuvWCppFI
The drive to radically redefine marriage didn’t happen overnight. It’s the rotten fruit of the sexual revolution’s march through the institutions of America.
As the calendar slips toward the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, there’s a storm cloud hanging over America that will release its thunder in late June.
That’s when the U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to declare a constitutional right to same-sex “marriage.”
FYI, Josh Duggar was, until recently, head of the Family Research Council’s political arm. Seems he didn’t just touch arms, but touched some other things as well, which is why he was forced to resign.
Now, you may recall that FRC are the people vociferously promote marrieage between one man and one woman, wrote those lovely and false talking points about gay people that many of you are fond of posting here, were named a hate-group by the SPLC, and co-sponsored, with Archbishop Cordileone, the national march for opposite sex marriage.
But I’m sure it’s all just a coincidence!
I didn’t know anything about Josh Duggar until I searched his name on the WWW just now and found this:
“A new report claims that 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was named in an underage sexual abuse probe in 2005 and turned in to police by his father Jim Bob after he was caught in a young girl’s room.”
Doesn’t sound like a role model for virtue to me!!
YFC, SPLC considers those who attend the TLM members of a hate group